Pivoting television support shelf

ABSTRACT

A pivoting television support shelf capable of supporting a television extended from a cabinet. The pivoting television support shelf including: a shelf for pivotably supporting the television, the shelf having a pivot point disposed at a first end of the shelf; a pivot for pivoting the shelf relative to the cabinet about the pivot point between a first position within the cabinet and a second position extended from an exterior surface of the cabinet; and a slide for supporting the shelf at a second end, the slide having first and second mating slide halves, one of the first and second mating slide halves being fastened to the shelf, the other of the first and second mating slide halves being fastened to the cabinet.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates generally to television support shelves and, more particularly, to a pivoting television support shelf having particular utility for pivoting a television from a cabinet positioned near the corner of a room.

[0003] 2. Prior Art

[0004] Numerous television support shelves are known in the art. Typically, television support shelves include a support shelf which is supported and attached to a television cabinet by linear slides. Such slides can be simple friction slides having mating pieces sliding relative to each other, ball bearing slides, wheeled slides, or the like, all of which are referred to herein as simply “slides.” The television is supported on the support shelf which can be positioned inside the cabinet in a contracted position or extended from the cabinet in an extended position. In the extended position, the television is cantilevered from the cabinet to provide better viewing of the television. The use of the term television in the present disclosure is intended to cover all types of video image monitors including computer monitors and the like.

[0005] Although the television support shelves of the prior art have their advantages, they are not without certain disadvantages. Firstly, since the television is cantilevered away from the cabinet, there is a danger of the cabinet tipping over if the center of gravity passes over the base of the cabinet. The cantilever of the television also requires a very strong slide which will not buckle under the load of the television or other applied loads, such as a VCR, video games, or a hanging child.

[0006] Furthermore, the television support shelves of the prior art are not very useful where the television cabinet is positioned in a corner of a room. Such a positioning of the television cabinet requires the television to be oriented towards a central area of the room away from the corner in which the cabinet is positioned.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide a pivoting television support shelf which reduces the dangers of tipping when extended from the cabinet in which it is mounted.

[0008] It is another object of the present invention to provide a pivoting television support shelf having slides which are less likely to buckle under the weight of the television and any other applied loads than are the television support shelves of the prior art.

[0009] It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a pivoting television support shelf which is more useful where the cabinet in which the television is housed is positioned in the corner of a room.

[0010] Accordingly, a pivoting television support shelf capable of supporting a television extended from a cabinet is provided. The pivoting television support shelf comprises: a shelf for pivotably supporting the television, the shelf having a pivot point disposed at a first end of the shelf; pivot means for pivoting the shelf relative to the cabinet about the pivot point between a first position within the cabinet and a second position extended from an exterior surface of the cabinet; and a slide for supporting the shelf at a second end, the slide having first and second mating slide halves, one of the first and second mating slide halves being fastened to the shelf, the other of the first and second mating slide halves being fastened to the cabinet.

[0011] Preferably, the shelf of the pivoting television support shelf comprises a base frame and a support shelf fastened to the base frame. The base frame is preferably triangular shaped having an apex and a base opposite the apex, wherein the pivot point is disposed at the apex and the second end is the base. The base of the triangular shaped base frame is preferably curved. The support shelf is preferably rectangular and positioned on the base frame such that the support shelf is entirely outside the cabinet when in the second position.

[0012] The slide is preferably either a linear slide or a curved slide. Where the slide is a linear slide, the first mating slide half is pivotably fastened to the shelf and the second mating slide half is pivotably fastened to the cabinet. Where the slide is a curved slide, the shelf comprises: a triangular shaped base frame having an apex and a curved base opposite the apex, wherein the pivot point is disposed at the apex and the second end is the curved base, the curved base having a radius with the pivot point as its center; and a support shelf fastened to the base frame; wherein the first mating slide half is fastened to the curved base and the second mating slide half is fastened to the cabinet.

[0013] Preferably, the curved slide comprises a first curved slide stage and a second curved slide stage, wherein extension of the first curved slide stage extends the shelf to a position intermediate the first and second positions and extension of the second curved slide stage extends the shelf to the second position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the apparatus of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:

[0015]FIG. 1 illustrates a sectional plan view of a television cabinet having the pivoting television support shelf of the present invention.

[0016]FIG. 2 illustrates the television cabinet of FIG. 1 wherein the pivoting television support shelf is in an extended position to permit viewing of a television thereon.

[0017]FIG. 3 illustrates a partial sectional front view of a preferred implementation of the pivoting television support shelf of FIG. 1.

[0018]FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of the pivoting television support shelf of FIG. 3 with the support shelf removed to show the details of the base frame.

[0019]FIG. 5a illustrates the base frame of the pivoting television support shelf of FIG. 4 in a first extended position intermediate between the fully contracted and fully extended positions with the support shelf removed to show the details of the base frame.

[0020]FIGS. 5b 5 a illustrates the base frame of the pivoting television support shelf of FIG. 4 in a fully extended position with the support shelf removed to show the details of the base frame.

[0021]FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the pivoting television support shelf of the present invention with the support shelf removed to show the details of the base frame.

[0022]FIG. 7 illustrates the pivoting television support shelf of FIG. 1 in an extended position such that the support shelf is substantially outside the television cabinet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0023] Although this invention is applicable for use in numerous and various environments and in numerous and various areas of rooms, it has been found particularly useful in the environment of a corner of a room in a conventional home. Therefore, without limiting the use of the invention to a corner of a room in a conventional home, the invention will be described in such environment.

[0024] Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is illustrated a preferred implementation of a pivoting television support shelf of the present invention. The pivoting television support shelf being generally referred to by reference numeral 100. The pivoting television support shelf 100 is capable of supporting a television 102 extended from a cabinet 104, wherein the term “cabinet” is intended to include any type of enclosure or open shelf which houses or supports the television 102. The cabinet is illustrated as being positioned in a corner of a room 106 of a conventional home. However, as disclosed above, although the pivoting television support shelf 100 of the present invention has particular utility when used in such a way, the invention is not limited thereto. The cabinet 104 in which the pivoting television support shelf 100 is mounted can be positioned in any area of a room, or not in a room at all, such as in an automobile, camper, railroad car, airplane, and the like.

[0025] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the pivoting television support shelf 100 includes a shelf 108 for pivotably supporting the television 102. The shelf 108 having a pivot point 110 preferably disposed at a first end 108 a of the shelf 108. A pivot means is provided for pivoting the shelf 108 relative to the cabinet 104 about the pivot point 110 between a first position (shown in FIG. 1) within the cabinet 104 and a second position (shown in FIG. 2) extended from an exterior surface 104 a of the cabinet 104. The pivot means is preferably a bolt and nut combination 109 where the bolt is preferably a shoulder bolt for allowing easy rotation of the shelf 108.

[0026] Alternatively, a washer 109 a can be used which is sandwiched between the cabinet 104 and the shelf 108. The washer 109 a also provides a clearance (h) between the cabinet 104 and the shelf 108 to prevent interference of the two during rotation of the shelf 108. Alternatively to the washer 109 a, a ball bearing unit (not shown) can also be utilized between the cabinet 104 and the shelf 108 to provide a clearance (h) and to provide for ease of relative rotation between the cabinet 104 and the shelf 108. Furthermore, the head of the bolt 109 can be disposed in an appropriately sized counter bore 109 b such that the bolt head is hidden therein.

[0027] The pivoting television support shelf 100 also includes a slide for supporting the shelf 108 at a second end 108 b. The slide can be any type known in the art for supporting shelves without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention, such as friction slides, ball bearing slides, roller wheel slides and the like. The slide can also be curved or linear. FIGS. 1-5 and 7 illustrate a preferred implementation of a curved slide 112. The curved slide 112 is of the friction variety and generally has first and second mating slide halves 114, 116. The first and second mating slide halves 114, 116 mate together with a dovetail 118 and slide relative to each other. However, any means for mating the slide halves together known in the art can be utilized without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention, such as mating interlocking lips which are commonly used on metal ball-bearing slides. The first mating slide half 114 is fastened to the cabinet 108 such as by screws 119 or the like and the second mating slide half 116 is fastened to the shelf 108, such as being an integral part of the shelf 108 as is shown in the Figures.

[0028] Preferably, the shelf 108 comprises a base frame 120 and a support shelf 122 fastened to the base frame 120. Preferably, the base frame 120 is triangular shaped having an apex 120 a and a base 120 b opposite the apex, wherein the pivot point 110 is disposed at the apex 120 a and the second end 108 b is the base 120 b. More preferably, the base 120 b of the triangular shaped base frame 120 is curved to match the radius (r) of the rotation of the shelf 108 with respect to the pivot point 110.

[0029] The curved slide 112 can also extend in stages, as is shown in FIGS. 5a and 5 b. In such embodiment, the second mating slide half 116 comprises at least first and second curved slide stages 116, 116 a. The first and second curved slide stages are preferably mated by means of a dovetail joint 118 a, however, any means known in the art can be used. Extension of the first curved slide stage 116 extends the shelf 108 to a position intermediate the first and second positions (shown in FIG. 5a) and extension of the second curved slide stage 116 b extends the shelf 108 to the fully extended second position (shown in FIG. 5b). Stops (not shown) are preferably provided to prevent the first and second curved slide stages 116, 116 a from coming apart when in their fully extended positions. Of course more than two slide stages can be utilized without departing from the scope or spirit of the present invention.

[0030] The support shelf 122 is preferably substantially rectangular as shown in the Figures. However, the support shelf 122 can be curved at an end 122 a thereof, as shown in FIG. 1 to prevent interference of the end 122 a with the cabinet 104 when the shelf 108 is rotated to the second position outside the cabinet 108. However, the support shelf 122 can be other shapes without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, such as square, oval and the like.

[0031] The support shelf 122 is generally positioned on the base frame 120 such that the support shelf extends the television 102 to a position outside the cabinet 102 to a comfortable viewing position, as is shown in FIG. 2. Those skilled in the art will realize that when in this position, the cabinet is less likely to tip and the slides less likely to buckle as compared with the television support shelves of the prior art. However, the support shelf 122 can also be positioned on the base frame 120 such that the support shelf 122 is substantially outside the cabinet 104 when in the second position, as is shown in FIG. 7.

[0032] Referring now to FIG. 6, an alternative to the curved slide 112 is illustrated. FIG. 6 illustrates the use of a linear slide 124 to support the shelf 108 at the second end 108 b. Like the curved slide 108, the linear slide 124 has a first mating slide half 126 and a second mating slide half 128. The first and second mating slide halves 126, 126 can mate in any way known in the art, such as interlocking lips. The first mating slide half 126 is pivotably fastened to the shelf 108 at pivot point 130, preferably by way of a rotating fastener similar to the bolt 109 previously described. The second mating slide half 128 is pivotably fastened to the cabinet 104 at pivot point 132, also preferably by means of a rotating fastener, such as a fastener similar to bolt 109 discussed above. Of course, the linear slide 124 can also be provided with more than one stage similar to that discussed above with regard to the curved slide 112.

[0033] Those skilled in the art will realize that rotation of the shelf 108 about the pivot point 110 will cause the linear slides to move relative to each other and to rotate about pivot points 130 and 132 to support the shelf 108 at the second end 108 b.

[0034] While there has been shown and described what is considered to be preferred embodiments of the invention, it will, of course, be understood that various modifications and changes in form or detail could readily be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is therefore intended that the invention be not limited to the exact forms described and illustrated, but should be constructed to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A pivoting television support shelf capable of supporting a television extended from a cabinet, the pivoting television support shelf comprising: a shelf for pivotably supporting the television, the shelf having a pivot point disposed at a first end of the shelf; pivot means for pivoting the shelf relative to the cabinet about the pivot point between a first position within the cabinet and a second position extended from an exterior surface of the cabinet; and a slide for supporting the shelf at a second end, the slide having first and second mating slide halves, one of the first and second mating slide halves being fastened to the shelf, the other of the first and second mating slide halves being fastened to the cabinet.
 2. The pivoting television support shelf of claim 1, wherein the shelf comprises a base frame and a support shelf fastened to the base frame.
 3. The pivoting television support shelf of claim 2, wherein the base frame is triangular shaped having an apex and a base opposite the apex, wherein the pivot point is disposed at the apex and the second end is the base.
 4. The pivoting television support shelf of claim 3, wherein the base of the triangular shaped base frame is curved.
 5. The pivoting television support shelf of claim 2, wherein the support shelf is substantially rectangular and positioned on the base frame such that the support shelf is substantially outside the cabinet when in the second position.
 6. The television support shelf of claim 1, wherein the slide is a linear slide.
 7. The television support shelf of claim 6, wherein the first mating slide half is pivotably fastened to the shelf and the second mating slide half is pivotably fastened to the cabinet.
 8. The television support shelf of claim 1, wherein the slide is a curved slide.
 9. The television support shelf of claim 8, wherein the shelf comprises: a triangular shaped base frame having an apex and a curved base opposite the apex, wherein the pivot point is disposed at the apex and the second end is the curved base, the curved base having a radius with the pivot point as its center; and a support shelf fastened to the base frame; wherein the first mating slide half is fastened to the curved base and the second mating slide half is fastened to the cabinet.
 10. The television support shelf of claim 8, wherein the curved slide comprises a first curved slide stage and a second curved slide stage, wherein extension of the first curved slide stage extends the shelf to a position intermediate the first and second positions and extension of the second curved slide stage extends the shelf to the second position. 